Managing the Expatriate Manager Essay by CalDR

Globalization is one of the major trends in the business environment, with companies increasingly looking to enter global markets. This creates a need for companies to manage international operations effectively. One option is to send an employee to the foreign location to live and work, with this manager known as an expatriate manager. This process has significant advantages and disadvantages, including the fact that it often fails. However, a closer look at the process in this paper shows that problems can be effectively prevented. This requires being aware of potential problems, selecting the right employee to take on the role of expatriate and preparing the expatriate and their family for the experience. To consider this further, the advantages and disadvantages of an expatriate are considered in the paper. This is followed by a discussion of how an expatriate can be selected and effectively prepared for the role.